When students and faculty recall the time they spent in Cuba during the spring of 2019, they may remember the spicy taste of a delicious lunch or lively times learning to dance the salsa in the evenings at the residencia where they stayed. They will also point out the remarkable lessons they learned about urban agriculture, pest management and organic and sustainable farming in a country that was forced to change nearly all its practices in a relatively short period of time.
The course for which they traveled to Cuba, entitled Food and Revolution: The Cuban Experience, is the result in part of efforts by a faculty team from the College supported by grant from the Innovation Fund of 100,000 Strong in the Americas. A partnership between the US Department of State, Partners of the Americas and NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Innovation Fund student exchange and training programs between the Americas. In 2017, CAHNR faculty members and administrators from UConn’s Office of Global Affairs visited the country to make connections for collaborations, including research and student exchanges.